Thread: 12 foot clinker cadet dinghy

Hi Mate,

FYI - Cadets are alive and well. We have just completed the national championship regatta for Cadets at Grassy Harbour, King Island. The illustrious Stonehaven Cup.

The kids had 2m swells and 20 knots of wind on some days (plus with the waves on top). Just two boats capsized in the 9 races of the whole regatta! testimony to the kids seamanship and the beautiful little boat. It was very exciting racing and the kids had a ball. The kids race in the fibreglass version of the cadet that was first laid up in 1977. They include buoyancy fore and aft and side buoyancy tanks as well. A most sea-kindly little boat with a passionate bunch of people supporting it.

I am currently working on plans to raise the profile of the Cadet as it is such a fine training craft. That’s how I found the Cadet you have.

It’s uniqueness is in part due to the mentoring program we have built around it – three kids in a boat, from ages 12 to 18, across all experience levels. Brilliant! Certainly is very wet in the big swells though. Isn’t getting cold, wet and miserable part of dingy sailing? At least that’s what I tell my two sons. On any Sunday we have up to 36 kids on the water at RBYC - having fun, making friends and learning to sail.

I am currently restoring a Cadet, Pandora, sail number 133. She was a wreck, but now well on its way to a full recovery. As part of my duties at the yacht club, I help maintain the register of Cadets. I have the complete list of all the cadets that have been built and officially measured for competition. There may have been others that were not raced and not measured. I do not have details of these.

I am keen to learn as much as you can tell me about your boat - name, sail number, location, state of repair etc. Indeed, I would be pleased to learn about any Cadet that is out there - hanging in the shed; nesting chooks or decorating a yachtie's bar.

Perhaps drop me line via this forum - or email me at [email protected]

Attached is a pic of the Cadets at Grassy Harbour, a downwind leg with huge following swells. Challenging helming conditions indeed.